BERLIN CRISIS & OPPOSING MILITARY ALLIANCES
Berlin Crisis (1948 - 1961)
FATE OF GERMANY + BERLIN CRISIS
→ Differences over Germany caused the first crisis of the Cold War
→ Underlying tensions of the Cold War were so close to the surface mostly in Berlin
→ Many saw Berlin as a symbol of freedom behind the Iron Curtain
→ After Germany’s surrender in May 1945, issues such as its future government + economic system +
reparations were undecided
→ Stalin anticipated slowly undermining the British and the US to withdraw from Germany within a year or
two, after this he would create a united communist-controlled Germany
→ US + UK had different views, leading to a less united front between the Allied Control Council by 1948
→ This state of the German economy led to the Berlin Crisis in 1948
→ Initially, the US considered dismantling German industry
→ By 1947, the US shifted to supporting a strong German economy to prevent starvation and aid European
recovery
→ Britain + the US agreed on a strong German economy but the USSR and France were more reluctant, the
USSR opposing this move completely
→ Although Allied leaders agreed at Potsdam that Germany would remain united, they introduced different
political + economic systems in their zones :
WESTERN ZONE (USA + UK + FRANCE)
Zones Currency Type of rule Economy
→ Jan 1947, Britain + → June 1948, US → Different political → Free enterprise
the US combined their introduced new parties were formed + economic practices
zones into ‘Bizonia’ currency, Deutschmark, local democratic were encouraged
→ June 1948, France despite Soviet elections were held → Rapid economic
joined Bizonia creating objections → US army only had an recovery began, helped
‘Trizonia’ → Replacing the oversight role (clear US by Marshall Aid
Reichsmark, to wanted to re-establish
stabilise the Western Germany)
zones
, EASTERN ZONE (USSR)
Currency Type of rule Economy
→ Reichsmark (got weakened by → Communist dictatorship was → Communist economic system
Deutschmark) established by nationalising industry +
→ USSR opposed new currency → USSR forced East Germans to setting up state collective farms
from US (Deutschmark) fearing it pay reparations → Economic recovery was slow
would destabilise the Eastern as gov. Rejected US aid
zone’s economy
→ 1948, Ostmark was
introduced in direct response to
Deutschmark
→ Western currency became the dominant currency in Berlin + Soviet zone currency lost ists value
→ Stalin believed that Western powers were waging economic warfare + they had no intention of leaving
Berlin (currency was clear evidence of this)
BERLIN BLOCKADE + AIRLIFT (1948 - 1949)
→ The 3 Western sectors of Berlin were over 160 km from Western zones of Germany
→ Soviet occupation forces had been creating difficulties for Western forces to access Berlin (to and
from)
→ The Potsdam agreement had no provisions for access from German and British zones to Berlin, Western
powers relied on Soviet goodwill for access to roads, railways, and air corridors
→ Stalin argued that Western powers had abandoned the occupation agreement + Allied Control Council
was now meaningless
→ Stalin demanded Western forces leave Berlin
→ A day after the new currency was introduced, the USSR closed all surface routes linking Berlin to the
West (road, rail, and canal)
→ This started the Berlin Blockade - 24 June 1948 this lasted for 11 months
→ Blockade cut off the 2.5 million citizens in West Berlin from supplies + contact with Western zones
→ The USSR sent rations into West Berlin to persuade its citizens to agree to Soviet control
→ US general in Germany wanted to force a convoy through with military force but this was rejected to
avoid war
→ US had to do something otherwise Stalin would view them as weak resulting in a communist takeover in
Berlin
→ Western allies planned to supply West Berlin by air, Berlin Airlift, avoiding direct military contact
→ Stalin had not closed 3 air lanes through to Berlin
Berlin Crisis (1948 - 1961)
FATE OF GERMANY + BERLIN CRISIS
→ Differences over Germany caused the first crisis of the Cold War
→ Underlying tensions of the Cold War were so close to the surface mostly in Berlin
→ Many saw Berlin as a symbol of freedom behind the Iron Curtain
→ After Germany’s surrender in May 1945, issues such as its future government + economic system +
reparations were undecided
→ Stalin anticipated slowly undermining the British and the US to withdraw from Germany within a year or
two, after this he would create a united communist-controlled Germany
→ US + UK had different views, leading to a less united front between the Allied Control Council by 1948
→ This state of the German economy led to the Berlin Crisis in 1948
→ Initially, the US considered dismantling German industry
→ By 1947, the US shifted to supporting a strong German economy to prevent starvation and aid European
recovery
→ Britain + the US agreed on a strong German economy but the USSR and France were more reluctant, the
USSR opposing this move completely
→ Although Allied leaders agreed at Potsdam that Germany would remain united, they introduced different
political + economic systems in their zones :
WESTERN ZONE (USA + UK + FRANCE)
Zones Currency Type of rule Economy
→ Jan 1947, Britain + → June 1948, US → Different political → Free enterprise
the US combined their introduced new parties were formed + economic practices
zones into ‘Bizonia’ currency, Deutschmark, local democratic were encouraged
→ June 1948, France despite Soviet elections were held → Rapid economic
joined Bizonia creating objections → US army only had an recovery began, helped
‘Trizonia’ → Replacing the oversight role (clear US by Marshall Aid
Reichsmark, to wanted to re-establish
stabilise the Western Germany)
zones
, EASTERN ZONE (USSR)
Currency Type of rule Economy
→ Reichsmark (got weakened by → Communist dictatorship was → Communist economic system
Deutschmark) established by nationalising industry +
→ USSR opposed new currency → USSR forced East Germans to setting up state collective farms
from US (Deutschmark) fearing it pay reparations → Economic recovery was slow
would destabilise the Eastern as gov. Rejected US aid
zone’s economy
→ 1948, Ostmark was
introduced in direct response to
Deutschmark
→ Western currency became the dominant currency in Berlin + Soviet zone currency lost ists value
→ Stalin believed that Western powers were waging economic warfare + they had no intention of leaving
Berlin (currency was clear evidence of this)
BERLIN BLOCKADE + AIRLIFT (1948 - 1949)
→ The 3 Western sectors of Berlin were over 160 km from Western zones of Germany
→ Soviet occupation forces had been creating difficulties for Western forces to access Berlin (to and
from)
→ The Potsdam agreement had no provisions for access from German and British zones to Berlin, Western
powers relied on Soviet goodwill for access to roads, railways, and air corridors
→ Stalin argued that Western powers had abandoned the occupation agreement + Allied Control Council
was now meaningless
→ Stalin demanded Western forces leave Berlin
→ A day after the new currency was introduced, the USSR closed all surface routes linking Berlin to the
West (road, rail, and canal)
→ This started the Berlin Blockade - 24 June 1948 this lasted for 11 months
→ Blockade cut off the 2.5 million citizens in West Berlin from supplies + contact with Western zones
→ The USSR sent rations into West Berlin to persuade its citizens to agree to Soviet control
→ US general in Germany wanted to force a convoy through with military force but this was rejected to
avoid war
→ US had to do something otherwise Stalin would view them as weak resulting in a communist takeover in
Berlin
→ Western allies planned to supply West Berlin by air, Berlin Airlift, avoiding direct military contact
→ Stalin had not closed 3 air lanes through to Berlin
